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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mug — a face
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bound — certain
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — a signal
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. shower — rain
  19. cue — for pool
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bound — tied together

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