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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. squash — the sport
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — the season
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bark — to shout
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fall — to drop
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

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