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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cue — a hint
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cue — a signal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cap — a hat
  22. lean — to bend
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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