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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. press — newspapers
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. shower — to wash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. shower — rain
  11. press — a publisher
  12. track — a path
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a song
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. press — to push
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. temple — side of the head

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