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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a document
  3. bound — certain
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — to drill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. shower — rain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. file — a tool
  24. straw — a straw man

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