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

Word bank: cabinet · chip · rush · cell · race · stick · deal · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. race — a contest
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — to eat
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chip — for betting
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — a big deal
  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