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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 120 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: tube · rest · degree · charge · mouse · plane · race · bay

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. charge — in control
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. charge — a price
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. tube — the underground
  19. degree — an amount
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mouse — the animal

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