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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. degree — temperature
  5. firm — steady
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. degree — an amount
  10. press — to push
  11. firm — decided
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — newspapers
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — to recline

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