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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. rule — a law
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. rule — government
  17. prune — to trim
  18. shower — rain
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. press — a publisher
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — to push

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