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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to click
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. land — ground
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. press — newspapers
  12. land — a country
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. present — there
  16. press — to push
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. press — a publisher
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. present — the time now
  21. land — to come down
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — a gift
  24. mine — for digging

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