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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 · tube · plane · arm · cap · club · chest · ground

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cap — of ice
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. club — a group
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ground — the earth
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. tube — a container
  17. chest — a box
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — a hat
  20. chest — of your body
  21. club — for golf
  22. ground — crushed
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cap — a lid

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