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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 · ruler · racket · leaves · craft · press · wind · can

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. can — a tin
  8. craft — boats
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. press — to push

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