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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.

Make a worksheet

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: squash · wave · object · bark · mine · rash · season · kick

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — of the year
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rash — a series
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. object — to protest
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — a thing
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — for digging
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rash — hasty
  21. squash — to crush
  22. season — in sport
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. object — an aim

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