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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. suit — clothes
  7. ground — crushed
  8. mark — a grade
  9. shower — rain
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ball — a great time
  12. shower — to wash
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — of the year
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. season — to add flavour

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