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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · leaves · foot · bay · land · bark · wake · hide

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. foot — a measure
  3. land — ground
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. wake — a trail
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. land — to come down

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