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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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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: bay · club · plane · race · board · can · degree · lash

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. degree — an amount
  6. race — a contest
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. race — the arms race
  9. club — for golf
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. can — a tin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — a committee
  18. race — humankind
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — to get on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. club — a group
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. can — to be able to

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