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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — the season
  5. scale — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. firm — decided
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. press — newspapers
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. firm — a company

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