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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. pop — soda
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cue — for pool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. trunk — of a tree

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