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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: bat · rule · straw · arm · cap · stick · bass · rest

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — low music
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — a law
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bass — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rest — a break
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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