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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: kick · shower · roll · bark · press · suit · fine · file

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — clothes
  4. file — a line of people
  5. suit — in cards
  6. press — newspapers
  7. file — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. shower — rain
  10. file — a document
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. press — to push
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. fine — high quality
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. kick — in football
  22. fine — all right
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. suit — to fit

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