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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · kick · rule · bark · ground · arm · season · suit

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rule — a law
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. suit — in cards
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — government
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. suit — clothes
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. spell — letters
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. spell — magic
  22. season — of the year
  23. suit — to fit
  24. ground — crushed

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