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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: arm · rule · content · pass · foot · calf · band · snap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. snap — to click
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. content — happy
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — the amount
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a ring

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