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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: hide · march · chest · scale · ruler · plane · arm · mouse

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. plane — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. march — music
  10. scale — in music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chest — of your body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. march — the month
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. scale — size or range
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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