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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. kick — in football
  5. last — final
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. last — to go on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pound — a weight
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. last — finally
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. press — to push
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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