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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — a tool
  6. last — finally
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bat — the animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. last — to go on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. last — final

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