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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rock — music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. present — there
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. present — the time now
  13. press — to push
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bark — to shout
  21. press — a publisher
  22. vault — a safe
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. present — a gift

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