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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. season — in sport
  4. squash — the sport
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bass — the fish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rock — music
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — low music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. press — to push
  21. suit — to fit
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. suit — clothes

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