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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — a law
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bound — certain
  11. cell — a phone
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. cell — in biology
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. foot — a measure
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bound — obliged
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cell — in a prison

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