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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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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: bark · pass · staff · drill · press · rush · land · dip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — to shout
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — a country
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rush — hurry
  14. land — ground
  15. press — to push
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pass — a permit
  18. land — to come down
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. drill — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — newspapers
  24. drill — army training

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