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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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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: rule · lean · arm · net · kid · mug · pit · tube

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. lean — thin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — a hole
  10. mug — a cup
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — the underground
  13. kid — to tease
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rule — government
  16. mug — a face
  17. kid — child
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. lean — to rest against

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