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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.

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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: capital · rule · perch · snap · plane · last · lean · bark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. capital — money
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rule — a law
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. rule — government
  16. perch — the fish
  17. snap — to click
  18. bark — to shout
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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