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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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Word bank
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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: rule · mine · ruler · bank · fork · arm

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — a law
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mine — for digging
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — for measuring

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