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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. race — humankind
  6. field — for sport
  7. band — a music group
  8. field — farmland
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a ring
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. race — a contest
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lie — to recline
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wind — moving air
  21. field — a subject
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wind — moving air

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