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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
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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 · lean · bound · squash · stick · cap · rush

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. race — a contest
  5. cap — a hat
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lean — thin
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cap — of ice
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rush — hurry
  12. squash — the sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cap — a lid
  19. squash — to crush
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. race — humankind
  23. bound — tied together
  24. plane — in geometry

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