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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 · drill · mouse · rule · calf · straw · race · toast

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — army training
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rule — government
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rule — a law
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. toast — bread
  20. race — a contest
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. drill — a practice

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