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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 124 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. land — ground
  7. band — a music group
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — a publisher
  12. staff — employees
  13. press — to push
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — to come down
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rest — what's left
  23. band — a ring
  24. arm — part of the body

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