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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 120 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: bark · sharp · stick · season · object · deal · rush · wind

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — a thing
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — hurry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. season — of the year
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wind — moving air
  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