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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: bank · stick · ruler · mate · prune · plane · row · arm

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. row — a line
  4. mate — a friend
  5. row — to paddle
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mate — a partner

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