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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · rule · arm · press · shower · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. press — a publisher
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — government
  5. press — newspapers
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — after costs
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rule — a law

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