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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spring — of water
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tear — to rip
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tear — from crying
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — a tool

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