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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — to breed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. staff — employees
  6. cue — a signal
  7. staff — employees
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. root — the cause
  11. bound — obliged
  12. root — of a word
  13. bound — certain
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mate — a friend
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cue — for pool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com