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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: plane · snap · cabinet · game · stand · clip · bulb · race

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. clip — a video
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. clip — for paper
  13. race — humankind
  14. plane — a tool
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. snap — to click
  22. race — a contest
  23. clip — to cut
  24. game — a match

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