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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: deal · arm · spring · kick · cue · bass · tear · mark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. cue — a hint
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mark — a grade
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bass — low music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cue — for pool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. tear — to rip
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — a coil
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. deal — to handle

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