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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bark — to shout
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — to wash
  9. press — to push
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — to bear
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. deal — to handle
  15. perch — the fish
  16. drill — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — newspapers
  19. spring — a coil
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — the season
  23. drill — army training
  24. spring — of water

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