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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rash — a series
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. scale — in music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spring — of water

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