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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mark — a trace
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kid — child
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. press — to push
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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