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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · rule · kick · spring · chair · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. kick — in football
  5. toast — bread
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spring — of water
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — government
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spring — the season

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