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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. object — an aim
  4. press — a publisher
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. drill — army training
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. present — a gift
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to dunk

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