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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · bay · last · drill · sharp · toast

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rock — a stone
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. last — final
  5. toast — bread
  6. drill — army training
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. drill — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. sharp — clever

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