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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. race — humankind
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. press — newspapers
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bore — to tire
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. press — to push
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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