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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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 — an aircraft
  2. face — part of the head
  3. plane — a tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. drill — army training
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — to go on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — a practice
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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