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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 120 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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. press — newspapers
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. press — to push
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tube — the underground
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — the amount
  19. wax — to grow
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wind — moving air

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