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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: rash · rule · spell · mine · pit · wave · kick · arm

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pit — a hole
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — hasty
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — a series
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — in football
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rule — a law
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — magic

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