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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. bound — obliged
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stock — goods
  6. tube — a container
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — the underground
  10. current — of water
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — certain
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. last — finally
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — tied together
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. spell — magic
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. spell — letters
  24. date — the fruit

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