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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: ruler · last · bark · fan · calf · rush · foot · stock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bark — to shout

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