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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: band · lean · suit · wound · arm · present · club · cue

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — a signal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. present — there
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — the time now
  17. suit — clothes
  18. club — a group
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. present — a gift
  21. club — for golf
  22. band — a ring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. band — a music group

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