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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spring — of water
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. face — to confront
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. key — for a lock
  16. face — part of the head
  17. key — in music
  18. spring — a coil
  19. key — the most important part
  20. press — to push
  21. spring — the season
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. face — to point toward
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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