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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · press · spring · cabinet · trunk · wave · bark · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. press — to push
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spring — the season
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. firm — steady
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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