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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: race · plane · roll · rest · rush · face · cold · bulb

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. roll — a list
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cold — an illness
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — a break
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — hurry
  23. race — a contest
  24. plane — in geometry

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