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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. shower — rain
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. swing — in golf
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. plane — in geometry

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