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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
468
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: swing · nail · root · staff · press · bark · fan · mouse

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. staff — employees
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — in golf
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. root — of a word
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — the cause
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. staff — employees
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — music

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