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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. cue — a hint
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — a break
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. season — of the year
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — decided
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bark — to shout
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. cue — for pool
  24. season — in sport

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