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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: calf · march · last · swing · lean · mark · bark · cue

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a grade
  3. last — final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lean — to bend
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. march — the month
  9. last — finally
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cue — a hint
  12. march — the month
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. march — music
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — to pay attention

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