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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · last · trunk · hide · rest · bowl · perch · tube

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — the fish
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. tube — a container
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — to go on
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. tube — the underground

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