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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — a publisher
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. key — in music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — for a lock
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cold — an illness
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mouse — the animal

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