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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — clever
  4. press — to push
  5. lie — to recline
  6. capital — money
  7. bark — to shout
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. swing — to play on
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. vault — a safe
  12. press — a publisher
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. capital — a city
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. press — newspapers

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