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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 · current · club · fall · press · rule

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rule — a law
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — a group
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — government
  9. press — a publisher
  10. current — of water
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. current — electric
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. press — newspapers
  15. club — for golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. fall — 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