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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.

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: object · press · wound · spell · bark · snap · mine · hide

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — magic
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. object — an aim
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. snap — to click
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. object — a thing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. object — to protest
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — letters

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