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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 120 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: mark · arm · wave · cue · drill · staff · perch · wind

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. drill — army training
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. mark — a grade
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — the fish
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — moving air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. drill — a practice

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