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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 120 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: bark · bay · shower · wound · press · pound · stem · ruler

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. shower — rain
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — to wash
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stem — of a plant

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