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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. season — in sport
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rule — government
  10. bark — to shout
  11. lean — thin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — a law
  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