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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: rest · press · deal · saw · staff · kid · toast · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. staff — employees
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. toast — bread
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. press — to push
  12. saw — the tool
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — the tool
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. staff — a stick
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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