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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 was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. prune — to trim
  9. band — a music group
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a committee
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. board — to get on
  22. ground — a position
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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