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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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Word bank
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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: spell · cue · suit · game · squash · arm · cabinet · nail

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spell — letters
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cue — for pool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. cue — a hint
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. game — wild animals
  14. spell — magic
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — a short time
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. suit — to fit

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