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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · pit · hand · cue · mouse · wind · arm · leaves

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pop — music
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cue — a hint
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hand — in cards

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