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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.

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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bark — to shout
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bass — low music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. press — a publisher
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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