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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. race — humankind
  11. rash — a series
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. row — a line
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a dance
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ball — a great time

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