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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: perch · saw · lash · last · fan · foot · trunk · plane

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. last — to go on
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — final
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. saw — the tool
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. foot — a measure
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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