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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · net · arm · chair · toast · hand · calf · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. net — in sport
  2. toast — bread
  3. rule — government
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. net — for catching
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — clever
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hand — help
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — to rule out
  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