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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: race · ruler · snap · press · suit · leaves · plane · last

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. race — humankind
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. last — final
  6. suit — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — to go on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — to push
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. race — the arms race
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. press — newspapers
  24. last — finally

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