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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — to push
  11. bound — obliged
  12. shower — to wash
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bound — certain
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — the season
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. fan — a supporter

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