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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bark — to shout
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of law
  9. chair — a leader
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of a king
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. last — final
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ruler — a monarch

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