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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: arm · kick · scale · rule · capital · safe

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. kick — in football
  6. rule — a law
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. scale — size or range
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. scale — in music
  14. rule — government
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city

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