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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: roll · lie · content · arm · race · cue · spring · season

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. cue — a signal
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cue — for pool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. cue — a hint
  9. race — humankind
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spring — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. spring — the season
  15. season — of the year
  16. roll — a list
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. content — the amount
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. roll — a cake

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