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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 124 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to sink
  4. press — to push
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rock — music
  8. band — a ring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. press — a publisher
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — a stone
  23. band — a music group
  24. rock — to move gently

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