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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 120 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: hide · hand · mate · cabinet · press · spell · bark · saw

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — to push
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — a friend
  18. hand — in cards
  19. press — newspapers
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spell — magic
  24. saw — the tool

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