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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: file · bound · stand · race · spell · present · plane · cabinet

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. present — there
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — tied together
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spell — letters
  21. bound — obliged
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — a gift

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