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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bat — the animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. mark — a grade
  24. straw — a straw man

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