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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. press — newspapers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. capital — money
  9. bass — low music
  10. capital — a city
  11. press — a publisher
  12. craft — boats
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tear — to rip

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