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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. shower — rain
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. season — in sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — goods
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. staff — employees
  24. object — to protest

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