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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. season — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. net — for catching
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. net — after costs
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — to shout
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — in football
  24. bear — to put up with

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