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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: hand · suit · fall · plane · race · dip · pass · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. race — humankind
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. suit — clothes
  11. hand — in cards
  12. plane — a tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. suit — to fit
  15. race — the arms race
  16. game — wild animals
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hand — help
  20. game — a match
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — in cards

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