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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: pitcher · ruler · fall · kick · land · arm · cell · dip

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — to come down
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. land — a country
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cell — a phone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — ground
  23. cell — in biology
  24. dip — a sauce

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