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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. shower — rain
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — to push
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pit — a hole
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — crushed
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ground — the earth

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