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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 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. object — an aim
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. last — to go on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pop — soda
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — finally
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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