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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: cell · kid · club · lie · rest · kick · arm · cue

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cue — a signal
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cue — a hint
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — for pool
  11. club — for golf
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cell — a phone
  16. club — a group
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. club — for dancing
  20. rest — a break
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. lie — to recline
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kick — in football

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