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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. press — to push
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. file — a tool
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a line of people
  14. chest — of your body
  15. press — newspapers
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. chest — of your body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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