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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: rash · date · toast · cabinet · deal · bark · press · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rash — hasty
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. press — to push
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. date — the fruit
  16. clip — for paper
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. deal — to handle
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — a series
  24. cabinet — ministers

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