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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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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: wind · arm · rule · shower · rock · plane · nail · saw

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rock — music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. wind — moving air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. shower — to wash

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