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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.

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: spell · row · arm · cue · lean · date · squash · board

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spell — magic
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cue — for pool
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — a short time
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a committee
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a line
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lean — thin
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. lean — to bend
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a signal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. board — to get on
  23. lean — to rest against
  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