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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: rush · drill · snap · chair · race · plane · root · patient

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. drill — the tool
  5. root — of a plant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. root — the cause
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. race — a contest
  10. drill — army training
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. root — of a word
  15. race — humankind
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. race — the arms race
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rush — hurry

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