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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · press · club · hide · rule · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. rule — to rule out
  4. club — for dancing
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bark — to shout
  8. club — a group
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rule — government
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for golf

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