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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — in control
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rule — government
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pop — music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. club — for golf
  13. pop — to visit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for dancing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. charge — a price
  20. chest — a box
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — to rule out

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