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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. season — of the year
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. last — to go on
  5. bark — to shout
  6. last — finally
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. toast — bread
  11. season — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — music
  19. board — to get on
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  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