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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · deal · wind · club · leaves · plane

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. race — humankind
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. club — for golf
  10. wind — moving air
  11. club — for dancing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. race — a contest

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