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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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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 · perch · sharp · fork · coach · bound · mouse · plane

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. sharp — clever
  7. plane — a tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bound — certain
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bound — tied together
  19. perch — the fish
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fork — in a road
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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