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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
468
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: rush · date · dip · arm · cue · chest · spring · club

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  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 — a thrill
  2. date — the fruit
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — to sink
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chest — a box
  11. spring — a coil
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. club — for golf
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spring — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. spring — the season
  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