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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: arm · chest · jam · scale · ruler · rash · game · lean

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. scale — size or range
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lean — thin
  11. chest — a box
  12. game — a match
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lean — to bend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — in music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — a tight spot

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