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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: rash · arm · wind · leaves · ball · jam · pitcher · ruler

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a great time
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wind — moving air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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