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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. race — humankind
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. land — a country
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — to tease
  8. lean — to bend
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. kid — child
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. race — a contest
  22. suit — clothes
  23. land — to come down
  24. race — the arms race

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