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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. press — to push
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. file — a tool
  5. object — a thing
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — to protest
  11. file — a document
  12. hand — help
  13. object — an aim
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. chip — to eat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bear — 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