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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: suit · squash · spring · mouse · plane · tear · race · game

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. suit — in cards
  6. tear — to rip
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — a match
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — clothes
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tear — from crying
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. race — a contest
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. game — wild animals
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — humankind
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. squash — the sport

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