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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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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: snap · wake · branch · drill · race · spring · plane · racket

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. wake — a trail
  3. race — a contest
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. drill — army training
  16. spring — of water
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. race — humankind
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — the season
  22. plane — a tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spring — a coil

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