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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. toast — bread
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — certain
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — to shout
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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