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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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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: bound · season · cue · hide · wax · file · race · plane

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. race — humankind
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. season — in sport
  6. file — a line of people
  7. race — a contest
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. file — a document
  11. cue — a hint
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a tool
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. race — the arms race
  20. season — of the year
  21. cue — a signal
  22. plane — a tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. plane — an aircraft

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