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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to click
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. mark — a grade
  12. board — a committee
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — to get on

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