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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cell — a phone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ground — the earth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ground — a position
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. squash — the sport
  21. ground — crushed
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cell — in biology
  24. arm — part of the body

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