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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spell — magic
  9. bark — to shout
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — low music
  16. press — to push
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bass — the fish
  19. shower — rain
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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