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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: arm · hand · snap · roll · bowl · cabinet · cue · prune

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. roll — a list
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. roll — a cake
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — for pool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bowl — a dish

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