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

Word bank: wound · last · land · bay · suit · foot · stick · toast

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. suit — clothes
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wound — an injury
  13. last — to go on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. toast — bread
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. last — final
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — a country
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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