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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: key · field · wound · board · bear · sharp · toast · last

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. field — farmland
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — clever
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. last — to go on
  12. field — for sport
  13. last — final
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. field — a subject
  16. toast — bread
  17. last — finally
  18. key — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. key — for a lock

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