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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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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: chip · face · rule · bat · staff · mine · ruler · arm

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — a stick
  11. chip — to eat
  12. face — to point toward
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rule — a law
  15. face — to confront
  16. bat — the animal
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — employees
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chip — in a computer
  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