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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. staff — employees
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. last — to go on
  6. bark — to shout
  7. staff — a stick
  8. degree — from a university
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. degree — temperature
  11. suit — in cards
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. suit — to fit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. last — finally
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. degree — an amount

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