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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. scale — size or range
  3. race — the arms race
  4. band — a ring
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a match
  8. band — a music group
  9. scale — in music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — in a race
  12. race — humankind
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — a contest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. pit — a hole

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