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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. drill — army training
  6. bark — to shout
  7. swing — in golf
  8. swing — music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. press — newspapers
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a match
  17. press — a publisher
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. press — to push

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