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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. press — newspapers
  7. net — in sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. net — after costs
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — of ice
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. press — to push
  17. cap — a hat
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — a tool

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