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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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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: lie · content · cue · rock · key · arm · land · present

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. land — a country
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cue — a signal
  9. content — happy
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. present — a gift
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. rock — a stone
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — the time now
  23. rock — music
  24. present — there

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