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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — to push
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. staff — employees
  11. bat — the animal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rock — a stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — to be able to
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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