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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — a trace
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. chest — of your body
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a grade
  17. content — happy
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. press — newspapers
  20. face — part of the head
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. press — to push

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