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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: band · cell · field · cue · spring · arm · plane · lean

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spring — the season
  7. cue — for pool
  8. band — a music group
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. field — farmland
  11. cell — in biology
  12. field — for sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lean — thin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — a signal
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cell — a phone
  24. arm — part of the body

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