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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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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 · scale · rest · bank · hand · bowl · wind

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. race — a contest
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bank — for money
  5. race — the arms race
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — humankind
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rest — a break
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — for money
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. hand — help

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