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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: plane · wind · race · jam · rash · firm · club · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. plane — a tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. firm — steady
  6. race — humankind
  7. wind — moving air
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — moving air
  11. race — a contest
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. firm — a company
  14. club — for dancing
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rash — hasty
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — decided
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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