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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. rule — government
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. bank — for money
  11. capital — a city
  12. bank — for money
  13. object — to protest
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. capital — money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. object — an aim

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