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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. press — newspapers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — steady
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. press — to push
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hand — help
  21. firm — decided
  22. cold — an illness
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — a company

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