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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: snap · last · craft · band · ruler · foot · plane · perch

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — final
  5. foot — a measure
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. craft — boats
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. last — to go on
  15. band — a music group
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. perch — the fish
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. perch — for a bird

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