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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: straw · arm · root · cell · calf · patient · cue · kid

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. kid — child
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cue — a hint
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. root — the cause
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. cell — in biology
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. cell — a phone
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — a straw man

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