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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.

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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: present · tear · bear · bark · press · hide · mouse · last

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. last — to go on
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. last — finally
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — final
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bear — the animal

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