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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: bark · cue · leaves · rest · present · stick · hand · arm

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rest — a break
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bark — to shout
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. cue — a hint
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — there
  13. cue — for pool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. present — a gift
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — the time now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. leaves — lets stay

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