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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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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — a publisher
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. press — to push
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — hurry
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — happy
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. object — a thing
  24. content — videos and posts

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