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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. kick — in football
  8. game — a match
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. date — the fruit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — a division
  18. date — on the calendar

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