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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: roll · saw · arm · mug · race · foot · plane · craft

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. race — the arms race
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a face
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — a list
  9. foot — a measure
  10. race — humankind
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. craft — boats
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. saw — the tool
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a cup

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