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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kick — in football
  7. mug — to rob
  8. season — in sport
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. band — a ring
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mug — a cup
  24. band — a music group

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