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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: drill · plane · toast · fork · foot · bay · arm · cell

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. cell — a phone
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cell — in biology
  11. foot — a measure
  12. drill — the tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. toast — bread
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. drill — army training
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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