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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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 — part of the body
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — a signal
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a great time
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — a trail
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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