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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bark — to shout
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. present — the time now
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. press — a publisher
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. press — newspapers
  15. face — to confront
  16. present — a gift
  17. press — to push
  18. present — there
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bound — certain
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — to keep secret

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