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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: tube · bark · mark · perch · press · spring · craft · bear

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a skill
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. spring — of water
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mark — a trace
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spring — the season
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. press — newspapers

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