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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cue — a signal
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pop — soda
  19. rock — a stone
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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