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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 116 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. press — to push
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — newspapers
  8. dip — to sink
  9. band — a ring
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. band — a music group
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — the earth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — a publisher
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — to shout

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