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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cue — a signal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cue — for pool
  13. tube — a container
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. press — to push
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. nail — for a hammer

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