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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stand — to bear
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — to drop

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