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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rule — government
  4. cue — for pool
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. spell — letters
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — a box
  17. clip — a video
  18. chest — of your body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cue — a hint
  24. arm — a part of something

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