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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
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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: field · hand · bark · rest · bay · stand · press · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. field — a subject
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — to push
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. field — for sport
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stand — to bear
  20. rest — a break
  21. hand — in cards
  22. field — farmland
  23. hand — help
  24. press — a publisher

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