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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 · tear · rest · ruler · bay · bowl · can · club

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. club — a group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. rest — a break
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. club — for golf
  24. can — a tin

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