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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 120 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: straw · bore · arm · march · plane · bat · lean · stick

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. march — the month
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. bore — to drill
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — a tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  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