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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 · lash · ball · chair · mouse · wound · cue · arm

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cue — a hint
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. ball — a dance
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — the animal

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