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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. vault — a safe
  4. chair — a leader
  5. branch — a division
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. row — to paddle
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. row — a line
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — government
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bass — low music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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