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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. race — the arms race
  7. plane — a tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. race — a contest
  11. hand — in cards
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ground — a position
  15. race — humankind
  16. toast — bread
  17. rush — hurry
  18. ground — the earth
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cue — for pool

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