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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mug — to rob
  4. fork — in a road
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mug — a face
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — to bear
  14. lie — to recline
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — in sport
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. squash — the sport
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — to shout

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