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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — the earth
  7. row — a line
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. last — final
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — finally
  16. lean — to bend
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — a position
  23. lean — thin
  24. ground — crushed

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