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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. can — to be able to
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — steady
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. clip — for paper
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — of ice
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — to cut
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — a company
  21. bark — to shout
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  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