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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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468
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: pop · squash · chair · cue · pass · root · arm · lash

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cue — a signal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — for pool
  10. root — the cause
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pop — music
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. chair — a leader
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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