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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — to go on
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. date — the fruit
  20. last — final
  21. suit — clothes
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — in football
  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