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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: lean · bay · last · file · plane · key · rock · perch

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — final
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. last — finally
  8. file — a line of people
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. file — a tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. last — to go on

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