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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
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 · fall · last · rush · can · spell · bowl · object

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — an aim
  5. spell — magic
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. last — finally
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. last — final
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — to go on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. plane — a tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — letters
  24. can — to be able to

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