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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — soda
  5. snap — to click
  6. pop — to visit
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. press — to push
  15. cue — for pool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fine — all right
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. lean — to rest against

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