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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: can · mate · game · chair · plane · toast · rash · race

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. race — humankind
  4. can — a tin
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — bread
  9. race — a contest
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. race — the arms race
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. game — a match
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — a leader
  24. rash — a series

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