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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: wound · arm · pass · row · plane · pitcher · rest · tube

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. row — to paddle
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — a container
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rest — a break

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