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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. press — to push
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — to shout
  20. spell — letters
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — to get on
  24. branch — of a bank

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