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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — happening now
  3. mate — a friend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — of water
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. current — electric
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. last — final
  15. plane — a tool
  16. last — finally
  17. perch — the fish
  18. mate — to breed
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — a division
  22. stand — to bear
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. plane — an aircraft

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