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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: rest · rush · bound · field · lean · cue · ground · arm

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rush — hurry
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — thin
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — for sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rest — a break

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