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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — to push
  4. clip — to cut
  5. object — to protest
  6. clip — a video
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. staff — a stick
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. clip — for paper
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bore — to tire
  24. press — a publisher

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