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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: last · cabinet · hide · race · pitcher · bound · bass · plane

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. last — final
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bound — obliged
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. last — finally
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bass — low music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — to go on
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bound — certain
  23. bass — the instrument
  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