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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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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: cap · plane · kick · ruler · can · swing · cold · arm

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a hat
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. can — a tin
  8. cold — not warm
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cold — an illness
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. swing — to play on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. swing — music
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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