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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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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: stick · saw · rule · club · arm · plane · bark · calf

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — a law

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