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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. present — the time now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. spring — a coil
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bass — low music
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. present — there
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — the season
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — a law
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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