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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 120 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: bass · foot · calf · plane · cue · rash · arm · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — low music
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — a part of something

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