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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.

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: last · squash · clip · cap · plane · ball · fork · lean

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. last — to go on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — for paper
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. clip — to cut
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. clip — a video
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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