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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 120 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: drill · rule · chair · perch · saw · stem · bank · arm

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. rule — a law
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. perch — the fish
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — a professorship

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