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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hand — help
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stand — to bear
  13. branch — a division
  14. vault — a safe
  15. last — finally
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — a tool

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