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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a grade
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. swing — music
  11. row — to paddle
  12. swing — in golf
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — music
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. press — newspapers
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mark — a trace
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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