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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: ruler · last · arm · kick · sharp · bank · hide · rule

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rule — government
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — a law
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — to go on
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — final
  24. arm — part of the body

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