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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 116 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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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: kid · last · tear · wake · key · plane · rest · leaves

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — a break
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. key — in music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. last — final
  14. kid — child
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — for a lock
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wake — a trail
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. tear — to rip

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