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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bat — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. branch — a division
  21. kid — child
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. calf — a young animal

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