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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.

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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a hint
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. chest — a box
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. mark — a trace
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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