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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. track — a path
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. race — the arms race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. plane — a tool
  7. land — ground
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. land — a country
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. race — a contest
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — to come down
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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