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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · pop · last · staff · calf · prune · perch · plane

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. staff — employees
  7. face — to point toward
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — to trim
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — to go on
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. perch — the fish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. staff — a stick
  24. prune — the fruit

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