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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. press — to push
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — a tin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — music
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rest — what's left
  18. can — to be able to
  19. fork — in a road
  20. rest — a break
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bark — to shout
  23. press — newspapers
  24. can — a tin

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