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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — to shout
  15. toast — bread
  16. snap — to click
  17. lean — thin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to bend
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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