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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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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: jam · wind · race · fan · lie · chair · ruler · plane

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. plane — a tool
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chair — a leader
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. race — humankind
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. chair — to sit on

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