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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: ball · cue · mug · race · rash · arm · fan · nail

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mug — a face
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a dance
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — humankind
  18. cue — for pool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — a part of something

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