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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: cell · chair · arm · snap · ruler · mine · mark · fine

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fine — all right
  6. mark — a grade
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cell — in biology
  12. snap — to click
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. chair — a professorship

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