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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: saw · bay · roll · firm · plane · clip · suit · race

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — a cake
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. race — humankind
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. suit — in cards
  17. race — a contest
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. clip — for paper
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bay — a part 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