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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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Word bank
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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: rule · cap · net · row · arm · ruler · wound · prune

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rule — a law
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. net — for catching
  9. row — a line
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — a hat
  12. net — in sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — the fruit
  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