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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mate — a partner
  12. last — final
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. last — to go on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. last — finally
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rush — hurry
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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