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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: kick · spell · arm · cabinet · chair · ruler

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — letters
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. spell — a short time
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — magic

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