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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — a list
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. band — a ring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. band — a music group
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. arm — part of the body

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