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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 · stick · cap · rush · wave · snap · land · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. race — the arms race
  3. plane — a tool
  4. race — a contest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. land — ground
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — a country
  21. land — to come down
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — of the sea

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