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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. charge — in control
  4. cap — a hat
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — electricity
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. cap — of ice
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cap — a lid
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — boats
  19. charge — a price
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — a publisher
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a skill

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