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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — a break
  4. press — newspapers
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. key — in music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rest — what's left
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — for a lock
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bark — to shout
  18. court — of a king
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rest — what's left
  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