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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. land — to come down
  3. present — a gift
  4. plane — a tool
  5. land — ground
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. present — the time now
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. last — final
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mark — a trace
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  24. present — there

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