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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — a lid
  3. club — a group
  4. race — a contest
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ball — a dance
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. last — to go on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. cap — of ice
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — finally
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cap — a hat

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