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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 120 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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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: degree · snap · can · rule · drill · safe · press · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. can — a tin
  4. rule — a law
  5. degree — from a university
  6. press — a publisher
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. press — to push
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. snap — to click
  13. drill — army training
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — temperature
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rule — government
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — an amount
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. safe — a strongbox

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