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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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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: bark · snap · present · plane · arm · bound · chest · racket

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. present — the time now
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — there
  9. bound — obliged
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. present — a gift
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chest — a box
  16. snap — to click
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bark — to shout
  24. chest — of your body

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