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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. last — to go on
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. spring — the season
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — bread
  12. roll — a cake
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. date — the fruit
  17. rock — music
  18. roll — a list
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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