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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — to visit
  7. press — to push
  8. field — farmland
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. press — newspapers
  11. pop — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a song
  15. squash — the sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. pop — soda
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bark — to shout
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — to lash out

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