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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — for catching
  5. can — to be able to
  6. plane — a tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — what's left
  11. tube — a container
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rest — what's left

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