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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 · rule · spell · press · cap · ruler · chair · safe

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. press — a publisher
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spell — magic
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — letters
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. press — to push
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cap — a lid
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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