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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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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: staff · bark · stand · tear · press · spell · rest · present

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — letters
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. press — newspapers
  8. spell — magic
  9. press — to push
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — what's left
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — a break

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