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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. staff — employees
  4. season — in sport
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to click
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. last — finally
  13. object — to protest
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. staff — employees
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rest — a break
  18. season — of the year
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. object — an aim
  21. last — final
  22. staff — a stick
  23. last — to go on
  24. rest — what's left

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