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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mark — a grade
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — in golf
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — to shout
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. game — wild animals
  24. can — to be able to

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