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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: ruler · kid · drill · chest · arm · patient · toast · snap

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chest — a box
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. kid — child
  19. toast — bread
  20. snap — to click
  21. chest — of your body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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