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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. scale — in music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. kick — in football
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kick — with a leg

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