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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: board · game · plane · roll · arm · fan · hide · saw

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. roll — a list
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. game — a match
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. board — to get on
  19. game — wild animals
  20. board — a committee
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. game — a kind of play

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