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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: bear · season · calf · pop · rush · cue · lie · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cue — for pool
  4. season — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pop — music
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — of the year
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pop — soda
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — to visit

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