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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — a contest
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — a tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. suit — clothes
  16. race — humankind
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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