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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
468
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: mate · bowl · arm · current · roll · hand · present · plane

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — help
  6. present — the time now
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — a list
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. current — electric
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. current — of water
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. present — there
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — a tool
  23. mate — a partner
  24. hand — in cards

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