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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — to push
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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