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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the fish
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — a position
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — music
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — to push
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. press — a publisher

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