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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 · present · racket · ruler · kid · lean · roll · toast

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — there
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. present — a gift
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kid — to tease
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. kid — child

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