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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.

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: wound · plane · race · dip · squash · ball · suit · pass

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. race — humankind
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. race — a contest
  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