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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: march · ruler · plane · kid · cabinet · key · saw · stand

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. march — music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. stand — to bear
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. key — in music
  10. march — the month
  11. kid — child
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. key — for a lock
  22. march — the month
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stand — for spectators

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