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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: last · plane · key · row · toast · lean · deal · date

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. last — to go on
  3. toast — bread
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. lean — to bend
  8. key — in music
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. last — final
  11. lean — thin
  12. last — finally
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. plane — a tool
  20. row — to paddle
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. row — a line
  24. date — 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