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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 · clip · field · rule · bank · charge · kick · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. clip — for paper
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. charge — electricity
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rule — government
  13. clip — to cut
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — a law
  19. clip — a video
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. field — farmland
  23. bank — for money
  24. kick — a thrill

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