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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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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 · season · deal · shower · present · bark · rash · stand

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. shower — rain
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rash — a series
  5. shower — to wash
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. present — a gift
  8. squash — to crush
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — of the year
  15. present — there
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. season — in sport
  24. deal — a big deal

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