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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rock — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. deal — to handle
  18. season — of the year
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. season — in sport

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