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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. roll — a cake
  7. press — to push
  8. ball — a dance
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. roll — a list
  14. deal — to handle
  15. press — newspapers
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stand — to bear

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