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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: season · kid · wound · drill · face · march · bark · press

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — part of the head
  5. drill — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — army training
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — child
  13. drill — a practice
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. face — to confront
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. season — of the year
  20. press — a publisher
  21. kid — to tease
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. bark — to shout

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