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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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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: court · arm · coach · bear · pass · plane · wave · rule

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — a permit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. court — of a king
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — for sport
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rule — government
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pass — to spend time

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