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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. swing — to play on
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fan — to cool the air

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