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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.

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: rule · rock · last · craft · perch · object · plane · cold

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. rock — music
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. object — to protest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — a law
  17. last — final
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. rule — government
  22. cold — an illness
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rule — to rule out

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