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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: rock · band · chest · arm · game · cap · cell · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cell — a phone
  8. chest — a box
  9. band — a ring
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. chest — of your body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rock — to move gently

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