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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — a tool
  4. toast — bread
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mug — to rob
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. last — final
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a path
  13. branch — a division
  14. mug — a face
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. last — finally
  19. track — to keep track
  20. track — a song
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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