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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. march — music
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — a trail
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — to drop
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fall — the season
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kick — in football
  23. last — final
  24. racket — for tennis

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