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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. land — a country
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bark — to shout
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. press — to push
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stem — to come from
  16. plane — a tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. season — in sport
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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