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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — clever
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. perch — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — to shout
  11. charge — in control
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. press — to push
  17. charge — electricity
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. charge — a price
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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