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

Word bank: fall · bear · bark · press · cap · toast

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cap — a lid
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. toast — bread
  16. cap — a hat
  17. press — to push
  18. bark — a dog's sound

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