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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. press — to push
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a tool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bass — the fish
  20. lean — thin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lash — to lash out

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