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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 · mark · last · mouse · prune · rush · bore · toast

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. prune — to trim
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. toast — bread
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a grade
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — the most admired

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