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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — to shout
  7. season — of the year
  8. wound — an injury
  9. season — in sport
  10. key — in music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. press — to push
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. firm — steady
  19. press — newspapers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — of a tree

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