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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. row — a line
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. game — a match
  6. lean — thin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. lean — to bend
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. race — humankind
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. race — a contest
  19. game — wild animals
  20. race — the arms race
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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