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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — to shout
  4. press — newspapers
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. press — to push
  24. dip — to sink

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