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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. present — there
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. last — finally
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bark — to shout
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. present — a gift
  16. row — a line
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. last — to go on
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. mark — to pay attention

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