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

Word bank: arm · kick · ruler · chip · straw · drill

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. chip — to eat
  5. drill — a practice
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chip — for betting
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg

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