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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: foot · rule · racket · lie · jam · arm · content · snap

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — a measure
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rule — a law
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. lie — to recline
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. content — the amount
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. foot — 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