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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mate — to breed
  4. dip — to sink
  5. press — a publisher
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. band — a ring
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — low music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bass — the fish

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