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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: plane · bore · clip · fine · arm · rock · spring · ruler

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rock — a stone
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fine — high quality
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. clip — a video
  15. spring — a coil
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — music
  21. spring — of water
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. plane — a tool

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