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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stock — goods
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. season — of the year
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. snap — to click
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — to handle
  24. season — in sport

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