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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: cue · rule · track · arm · snap · lean · squash · sharp

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — government
  7. lean — to bend
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lean — thin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. snap — to click
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. squash — to crush
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cue — a hint
  20. squash — the sport
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — a law
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — a signal

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