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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: tube · plane · wake · kid · race · roll · rush · pop

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. roll — a list
  8. race — a contest
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. race — humankind
  14. pop — soda
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. roll — a cake
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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