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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.

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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: bowl · mark · arm · kick · cue · safe · rash · row

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rash — a series
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. row — a line
  24. kick — in football

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