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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. nail — on a finger
  3. current — of water
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. cue — a signal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — to eat
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — a division
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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