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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — a tool
  3. track — a song
  4. net — after costs
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. race — humankind
  10. lean — thin
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rule — a law
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — to bend
  15. race — a contest
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — a path
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. net — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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