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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. press — to push
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. bear — the animal
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. club — for golf
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. land — ground
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. club — a group
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — newspapers

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