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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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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: perch · cue · hand · tube · rule · arm · fall · deal

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fall — the season
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hand — help
  11. fall — to drop
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — a hint
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rule — government
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — a law
  24. deal — to handle

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