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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: bark · fan · board · mark · last · arm · jam · leaves

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — finally
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. last — to go on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. board — a committee
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. board — to get on
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. last — final
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — a tight spot

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