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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: bat · ruler · can · arm · drill · kick · stick · last

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — a practice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — to be able to
  6. last — finally
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — army training
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — to go on
  17. kick — in football
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. can — a tin
  23. last — final
  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