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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. press — to push
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rash — a series
  6. lie — to recline
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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