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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.

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: bat · leaves · spell · vault · bark · object · press · foot

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bark — to shout
  20. foot — a measure
  21. object — an aim
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — magic

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