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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — to go on
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. snap — to click
  11. land — to come down
  12. board — a committee
  13. bank — for money
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bass — low music
  19. board — to get on
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bass — the fish
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. last — finally

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