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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. march — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — to eat
  15. race — the arms race
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — the month
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. chip — in a computer

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