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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chest — of your body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — music
  16. chest — a box
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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