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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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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: pass · bark · present · toast · drill · fall · calf · board

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. drill — army training
  8. toast — bread
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — there
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. present — the time now
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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