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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — all right
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. charge — electricity
  12. last — final
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. fine — a penalty

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