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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a song
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. track — a path
  9. season — in sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. club — a group
  12. land — ground
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. suit — clothes
  15. club — for dancing
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. suit — in cards
  21. season — of the year
  22. suit — to fit
  23. land — a country
  24. race — humankind

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