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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.

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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. face — to point toward
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. face — to confront
  9. season — in sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — of the year
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — to shout
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rash — hasty

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