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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. press — a publisher
  8. key — for a lock
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. key — the most important part
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bark — to shout
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — to push
  21. key — in music
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — 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