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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: cue · mouse · cabinet · arm · game · coach · rush · clip

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cue — a signal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — for pool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. game — a match
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cue — a hint
  23. clip — a video
  24. game — wild animals

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