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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rule — government
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. net — in sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. net — after costs
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — to handle
  15. net — for catching
  16. hand — in cards
  17. last — final
  18. rule — a law
  19. hand — help
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rule — to rule out
  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