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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 · charge · bulb · plane · clip · stand · bark · saw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. charge — electricity
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. charge — a price
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. clip — a video
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. charge — in control
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. plane — a tool
  24. arm — part of the 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