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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: ruler · wave · rule · mug · arm · cap · chest · band

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — to rob
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rule — a law
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. band — a ring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mug — a face
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a music group
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chest — a box
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rule — government

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