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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. court — of a king
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — a tool
  5. last — final
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. branch — a division
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stand — to bear
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. last — to go on
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fall — to drop

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