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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 · firm · arm · land · kick · rule · rash · race

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. race — a contest
  3. rule — a law
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — government
  6. rash — hasty
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. firm — a company
  13. race — humankind
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — steady

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