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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — to push
  9. firm — a company
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — steady
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — help
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cell — in a prison

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