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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. fall — to drop
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. press — to push
  14. fall — the season
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. press — a publisher
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rash — hasty
  23. press — newspapers
  24. rash — a series

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