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

Word bank: snap · shower · perch · arm · staff · rule · plane · bore

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — a law
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — to wash
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rule — government
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. shower — rain
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. staff — employees
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to tire

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