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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: saw · lean · kick · drill · rule · chip · arm · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — a law
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kick — in football
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. drill — a practice
  17. saw — the tool
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chip — to eat
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. lean — to rest against

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