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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 120 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: last · bay · cabinet · arm · rest · kick · pop · rule

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rule — a law
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — final
  15. pop — music
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. last — to go on
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — government
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. last — finally

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