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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: deal · drill · perch · hand · mug · arm · cue · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hand — in cards
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — army training
  5. hand — help
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cue — for pool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cue — a hint
  14. mug — to rob
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cue — a signal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mug — a face
  24. perch — for a bird

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