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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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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: arm · hand · file · stick · ruler · plane · bark · cabinet

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. file — a document
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — help
  14. file — a tool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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