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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.

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 · plane · drill · deal · temple · stock · saw · jam

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. stock — goods
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. drill — the tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. deal — to handle
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — a tool
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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