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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. capital — a city
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — money
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ball — a great time
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. present — a gift
  18. board — a committee
  19. craft — a skill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. present — there
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. craft — boats

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