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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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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — to shout
  5. press — to push
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wound — an injury
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — a publisher
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. march — music
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. toast — bread
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — the month

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