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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: nail · present · plane · cell · chair · object · arm · pitcher

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. cell — in biology
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cell — a phone
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. present — the time now
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. object — a thing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitcher — a jug

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