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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · file · bark · spell · mouse · wave · ground · press

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — magic
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a tool
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ground — a position
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a document
  24. wave — with your hand

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