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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: calf · foot · last · bore · cue · plane · bay · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cue — a signal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — final
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. last — to go on
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bore — to drill
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. cue — for pool
  23. last — finally
  24. toast — bread

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