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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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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: stick · hand · bowl · bay · tear · arm · squash · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. squash — to crush
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — from crying
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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