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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rule — a law
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rule — government
  5. drill — army training
  6. kick — in football
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. kid — child
  9. rash — a series
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. kid — to tease
  17. snap — to click
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. temple — a place of worship

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