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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: plane · fork · mark · last · jam · arm · rush · leaves

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — a trace
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. plane — a tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rush — hurry
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. last — final
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. arm — a part of something

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