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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — of a river
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. last — finally
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — to go on
  9. wound — an injury
  10. last — final
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bank — for money
  16. land — a country
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. plane — a tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. bank — for money
  24. land — ground

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