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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · cell · deal · cue · rest · arm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — to handle
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady

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