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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 · spring · vault · racket · rash · present · rush · plane

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — there
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. race — humankind
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — a safe
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. race — a contest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rush — hurry
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. present — a gift
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. spring — a coil

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