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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. row — to paddle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mouse — for a computer

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