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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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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: chest · bound · tube · bark · press · safe · racket · toast

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tube — a container
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chest — a box
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. tube — the underground
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bark — to shout
  16. toast — bread
  17. bound — obliged
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. press — a publisher

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