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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: perch · bulb · arm · fan · press · rest · mine · bark

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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