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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. last — to go on
  6. snap — to click
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — final
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — finally
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bark — to shout

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