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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fall — to drop
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — a face
  8. fall — to drop
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — to keep track
  13. fall — the season
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — a path
  17. press — to push
  18. track — a song
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rock — music
  21. mark — a grade
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mark — a trace

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