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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 120 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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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: game · rule · arm · drill · lean · squash · tear · safe

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — army training
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. tear — to rip
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a match
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — a law
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. rule — government
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. arm — 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