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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: present · tear · spell · temple · field · bore · press · bark

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — a short time
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. present — there
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. present — the time now
  17. bore — to tire
  18. present — a gift
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to drill
  21. spell — letters
  22. tear — from crying
  23. press — to push
  24. tear — from crying

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