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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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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: swing · kick · pound · cap · arm · ball · shower · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cap — of ice
  4. kick — in football
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. shower — rain
  7. ball — a great time
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — music
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ball — a dance
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pound — a weight
  23. plane — a tool
  24. swing — to play 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