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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: drill · mark · trunk · plane · arm · chair · ground · sharp

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. drill — army training
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chair — a leader
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. plane — a tool
  14. sharp — clever
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mark — a grade
  18. drill — the tool
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — the earth
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — a position
  24. chair — to sit on

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