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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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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: sharp · cue · arm · key · land · wake · can · hand

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. cue — a signal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cue — a hint
  11. key — for a lock
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. sharp — clever
  15. cue — for pool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. land — to come down

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