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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
468
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: race · object · plane · bass · kid · tube · chair · rush

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. plane — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. object — an aim
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. object — a thing
  9. tube — a container
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. kid — child
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bass — the fish
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — low music
  24. rush — to 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