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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ground — a position
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. clip — to cut
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ground — crushed
  13. band — a music group
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — the earth
  19. clip — a video
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bark — to shout

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