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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: wind · charge · season · suit · cold · bark · net · rock

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. season — of the year
  7. rock — a stone
  8. net — after costs
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cold — not warm
  13. charge — a price
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. season — in sport
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rock — music
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — in sport
  20. charge — in control
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — for catching
  24. bark — to shout

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