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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. plane — a tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. last — finally
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — final
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bat — the animal

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