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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: bark · bay · hide · arm · foot · present · date · last

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. foot — a measure
  17. last — finally
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. last — final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — the bottom

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