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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. last — to go on
  3. plane — a tool
  4. last — finally
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — bread
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — rain
  11. scale — size or range
  12. staff — a stick
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. shower — to wash
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. last — final
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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