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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. press — a publisher
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fork — in a road
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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