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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. spring — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. press — newspapers
  7. court — of a king
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. tube — the underground
  17. court — for sport
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tube — a container
  20. cap — a hat
  21. spring — a coil
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cap — of ice
  24. court — of law

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