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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. field — farmland
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. band — a music group
  15. field — for sport
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — in sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — to be able to

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