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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: race · arm · stem · band · bowl · plane · hand · cell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. band — a ring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hand — in cards
  10. race — humankind
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. band — a music group
  13. cell — a phone
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. hand — help
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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