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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — electric
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — to push
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. content — the amount
  18. tube — a container
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. content — happy
  24. press — a publisher

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