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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.

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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a line of people
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fine — high quality
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. snap — to click
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — government
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. file — a document
  18. mine — for digging
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. file — a tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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