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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. net — in sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rock — a stone
  13. capital — a city
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. net — after costs
  19. capital — money
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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