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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — to push
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — tied together
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bound — certain
  21. bark — to shout
  22. press — newspapers
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — of a tree

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