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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 116 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: present · land · plane · firm · bear · bowl · snap · race

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. race — humankind
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to click
  9. race — a contest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. present — there
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. land — a country
  15. firm — decided
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — a company
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. land — ground
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — steady
  24. bear — the animal

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