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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: bark · press · saw · mine · lash · present · stock · date

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — the time now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. press — to push
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. present — there
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bark — to shout
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stock — goods
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stock — shares
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. present — a gift

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