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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — there
  5. lean — to bend
  6. present — the time now
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. court — of a king
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. lean — thin
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cold — an illness
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — of law
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cold — not warm
  24. lean — to rest against

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