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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. scale — size or range
  8. foot — a measure
  9. object — an aim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — a short time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. perch — the fish
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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