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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. drill — army training
  4. land — to come down
  5. club — for dancing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. drill — the tool
  11. land — a country
  12. club — for golf
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. season — in sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. club — a group
  21. bark — to shout
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. season — to add flavour

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