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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 120 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — certain
  8. present — there
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — the time now
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — low music
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — the fish

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