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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: hand · wave · ruler · arm · tear · cue · club · ball

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cue — for pool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a dance
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — a group
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hand — in cards
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ball — a great time

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