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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. press — to push
  3. suit — to fit
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. press — a publisher
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wound — an injury
  11. suit — clothes
  12. can — a tin
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. can — a tin
  15. present — there
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — to be able to
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mine — an explosive

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