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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stock — goods
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. root — of a word
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. press — a publisher
  11. object — a thing
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. press — to push
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. stock — shares
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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