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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: press · arm · toast · cell · present · fine · bear · bark

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. cell — in biology
  6. press — to push
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fine — high quality
  10. toast — bread
  11. bear — the animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. present — there
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fine — all right
  20. press — newspapers
  21. present — a gift
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — the animal

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