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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. press — a publisher
  3. race — humankind
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. drill — the tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. spell — a short time
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — letters
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — army training
  21. race — the arms race
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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