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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. root — of a word
  3. file — a line of people
  4. firm — steady
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bark — to shout
  8. file — a document
  9. firm — a company
  10. press — newspapers
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. firm — decided
  16. press — to push
  17. bass — the fish
  18. file — a tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. band — a ring
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — the instrument

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