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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. spell — a short time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. press — to push
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — rain
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. shower — to wash
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — a publisher
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — letters
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — a supporter
  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