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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: field · stick · wave · foot · rush · chair · plane · race

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. field — a subject
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. field — for sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — the arms race
  19. rush — hurry
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. field — farmland
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. plane — a tool

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