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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
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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: bark · press · bore · safe · wound · clip · degree · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. clip — for paper
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. press — to push
  11. degree — an amount
  12. press — newspapers
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bore — to tire
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to drill
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wound — an injury

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