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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chest — a box
  4. kick — in football
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitch — completely
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. charge — in control

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