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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. club — a group
  14. branch — a division
  15. spell — magic
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — hurry
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kick — in football
  21. pass — a permit
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. cue — a signal

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