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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · bass · bay · plane · current · spring · rule · chair

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rule — a law
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — of water
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — low music
  22. current — of water
  23. rule — government
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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