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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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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: mouse · arm · calf · hand · cue · can · drill · ball

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. drill — a practice
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a great time
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. cue — a signal
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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