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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 124 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. press — a publisher
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. ball — a great time
  17. press — to push
  18. wake — a trail
  19. squash — to crush
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a dance

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