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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. race — humankind
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. spell — letters
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — in sport
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. race — a contest
  24. season — of the year

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