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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — in sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. squash — the sport
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. foot — a measure
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — to fit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. season — of the year
  24. bark — of a tree

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