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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cue — a signal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. band — a music group
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fall — the season
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — a measure
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — an aim
  22. snap — to click
  23. band — a ring
  24. band — a rubber band

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