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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. press — to push
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spell — a short time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a match
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. vault — a safe

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