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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: plane · squash · fall · race · snap · kick · stand · mark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. squash — to crush
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — the sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — humankind
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — to drop
  11. race — a contest
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fall — the season
  15. snap — to click
  16. kick — in football
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mark — a trace
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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