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

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. race — a contest
  5. stand — to bear
  6. last — final
  7. bass — the fish
  8. rock — music
  9. bass — low music
  10. hand — help
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — a box
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. race — humankind
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — finally
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chest — of your body

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