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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — newspapers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a trace
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bank — of a river
  16. shower — rain
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — to push
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bank — for money

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