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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: arm · track · fork · cue · cold · bulb · wake · mug

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cue — for pool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mug — a cup
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. track — a path
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mug — a face

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