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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: foot · rule · ruler · capital · bulb · deal · arm · fall

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. fall — to drop
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rule — a law
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rule — government
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. capital — a city
  24. ruler — for measuring

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