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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. last — finally
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. march — the month
  6. last — to go on
  7. march — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. march — the month
  13. toast — bread
  14. spell — letters
  15. last — final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — thin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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