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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: plane · calf · rash · shower · race · ruler · arm · roll

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. roll — a list
  5. rash — hasty
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. plane — a tool
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. roll — a cake
  10. shower — rain
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rash — a series
  17. race — a contest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — humankind
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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