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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. vault — a safe
  5. snap — to click
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. press — a publisher
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. press — to push
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — newspapers
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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