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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. content — the amount
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — in cards
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — for dancing
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — thin
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a ring
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — exactly

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