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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bank — of a river
  3. file — a document
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — all right
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — high quality
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. plane — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bank — for money
  19. last — finally
  20. file — a tool
  21. wake — a trail
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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