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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · spell · toast · bark · cold · bay · mate · press

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. spell — magic
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mate — a friend
  11. toast — bread
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mate — a partner
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spell — letters
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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