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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 116 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: plane · race · mark · sharp · last · rush · drill · ruler

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. mark — a trace
  6. race — a contest
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — the arms race
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. drill — a practice
  19. sharp — clever
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — humankind
  24. rush — hurry

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