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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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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: fork · toast · ground · dip · bark · press · arm · wound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — a publisher
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bark — to shout
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. press — to push
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. ground — the earth
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. fork — in a road
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ground — a position
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fork — to eat with

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