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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: rule · arm · pit · lash · branch · mouse · squash · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — a law
  11. pit — in a race
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rule — government
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — a division
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — a hole
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mouse — for a computer

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