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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — final
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a music group
  8. board — a committee
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — magic
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. band — a ring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — a short time
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — lets stay

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