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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.

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: fine · band · tube · squash · capital · arm · face · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. band — a ring
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rule — government
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fine — high quality
  14. band — a music group
  15. fine — all right
  16. capital — a city
  17. tube — a container
  18. face — to point toward
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — the underground
  24. face — to confront

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