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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: rest · drill · bark · toast · jam · fork · bound · rock

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. drill — army training
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rest — a break
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. drill — a practice
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rock — music
  14. toast — bread
  15. rock — a stone
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rest — what's left

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