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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: mate · cold · mine · ball · safe · press · deal · bark

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a friend
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mine — for digging
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cold — not warm
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. press — to push
  24. mine — an explosive

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