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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rash — a series
  4. rule — government
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — in football
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — hasty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. cell — a phone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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