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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. charge — a price
  5. mine — for digging
  6. charge — in control
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chest — a box
  11. charge — electricity
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of a king
  14. chest — of your body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — government
  24. ruler — for measuring

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