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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. last — final
  3. last — finally
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — for light
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — a stick
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — a country
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. last — to go on
  18. rest — a break
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  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