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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: hand · drill · bound · cell · spell · arm · ruler · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cell — in biology
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bound — certain
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — a part of something

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