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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: last · lean · squash · foot · bark · coach · mine · toast

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. squash — to crush
  3. lean — to bend
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. toast — bread
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. last — to go on
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — final
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. last — finally
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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