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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — a publisher
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. staff — a stick
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — employees
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. press — to push
  24. chair — to sit on

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