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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.

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: bark · bank · rush · press · chest · object · arm · bat

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — newspapers
  6. object — an aim
  7. press — to push
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — to protest
  10. bank — for money
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. rush — to hurry

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