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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — magic
  7. key — for a lock
  8. land — to come down
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — letters
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — a country
  14. kick — in football
  15. firm — a company
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — ground
  18. key — the most important part
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. firm — steady
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kick — with a leg

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