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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fine — high quality
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. file — a document
  15. lie — to recline
  16. clip — to cut
  17. press — to push
  18. clip — a video
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fine — all right
  24. file — a line of people

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