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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — to push
  3. suit — clothes
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. swing — to play on
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hand — in cards
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — child
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. toast — bread
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — music
  24. bark — of a tree

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