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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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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: court · bank · bat · plane · last · lie · pass · rush

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of law
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. last — finally
  9. rush — hurry
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. last — final
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pass — a permit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — of a king
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — to recline

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