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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: sharp · press · bark · ball · last · mouse · cabinet · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — final
  4. mate — to breed
  5. last — to go on
  6. press — to push
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. press — a publisher
  16. last — finally
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. sharp — with an edge

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