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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. present — the time now
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. present — a gift
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rock — a stone
  21. press — to push
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hand — help

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