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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. season — of the year
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — in a road
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — the sport
  8. last — finally
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. last — final
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. straw — dry grass

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