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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. spell — letters
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spell — a short time
  9. press — a publisher
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. spell — magic
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. press — to push
  16. object — an aim
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. press — newspapers
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. mouse — the animal

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