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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 120 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: straw · bark · content · last · fine · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. last — to go on
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. content — the amount
  10. bark — to shout
  11. content — happy
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — final
  15. suit — in cards
  16. last — finally
  17. fine — all right
  18. straw — dry grass

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