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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 120 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: plane · race · fan · rest · current · bound · cap · ruler

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. current — happening now
  3. bound — certain
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — a tool
  6. race — a contest
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — a break
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — in geometry

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