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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. press — to push
  10. hand — help
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — a stone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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