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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. face — to point toward
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. suit — in cards
  14. face — to confront
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — clothes
  17. press — newspapers
  18. spell — letters
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. can — a tin
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bear — the animal
  24. face — part of the head

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