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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: tear · arm · cue · perch · coach · season · stick · hand

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — of the year
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — help
  24. cue — a hint

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