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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — to drill
  6. press — to push
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fine — all right
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spell — magic
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bark — to shout
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spring — a coil
  24. fine — high quality

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