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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mine — for digging
  5. can — a tin
  6. last — final
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — clever
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rule — government
  19. last — finally
  20. rule — a law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bear — to put up with

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