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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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. pass — to succeed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. last — finally
  24. temple — side of the head

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