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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: band · bark · staff · press · squash · foot · key · wake

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. press — to push
  3. key — in music
  4. wake — a trail
  5. staff — a stick
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. key — the most important part
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — employees
  11. squash — to crush
  12. band — a ring
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. squash — the sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. foot — a measure
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. press — newspapers
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. press — a publisher
  21. staff — employees
  22. band — a music group
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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