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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 · object · snap · straw · bound · fan · cue · chip

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. cue — a hint
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — certain
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. object — a thing
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. object — an aim
  19. cue — a signal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to click
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. fan — a supporter

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