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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 116 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. season — of the year
  3. saw — the tool
  4. suit — clothes
  5. cold — not warm
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rock — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cold — an illness
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — in cards
  24. saw — the tool

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