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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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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 · lean · ruler · march · arm · wind · current · bark

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. march — the month
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lean — thin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — of water
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. march — the month

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