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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. squash — to crush
  5. cue — a hint
  6. key — the most important part
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cue — a signal
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rash — a series
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — to rob
  24. key — for a lock

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