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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: arm · ruler · capital · shower · cue · lash · bay · bear

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. capital — a city
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. shower — rain
  6. capital — money
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bear — the animal
  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