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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: content · leaves · rest · ball · kid · ruler · arm · charge

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. rest — a break
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. charge — in control
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kid — child
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — electricity
  21. kid — to tease
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. leaves — of a tree

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