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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
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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: bark · mate · pound · arm · cabinet · cue · sharp · saw

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mate — a friend

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