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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · plane · kid · arm · hand · board · rash · track

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — child
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. board — to get on
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rash — a series
  16. kid — to tease
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — a song
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — a flat piece

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