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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · mate · swing · plane · bore · straw · cabinet · march

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. march — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — to drill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. plane — a tool
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mate — a friend
  16. march — the month
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mate — a partner
  22. swing — to play on
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bore — to tire

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