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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: bay · arm · jam · field · spell · hand · cue · lash

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — help
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — farmland
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. field — for sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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