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

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cell — a phone
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. rash — hasty
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stock — goods
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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