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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. roll — a list
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. roll — a cake
  12. last — final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. last — to go on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — to put up with

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