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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. can — a tin
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — a tin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cue — a signal
  15. lie — to recline
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — a hint
  21. can — to be able to
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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