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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. season — of the year
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. season — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — help
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mouse — for a computer

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