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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · hand · nail · bay · arm · cue · capital · mouse

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. cue — a hint
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hand — help
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. capital — money
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. cue — for pool

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