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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: mouse · track · shower · prune · bark · press · face · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. prune — to trim
  9. face — to point toward
  10. foot — a measure
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — rain
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. face — part of the head
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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