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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. saw — the tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cue — a hint
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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