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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — ground
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — the tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. branch — a division
  24. ground — crushed

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