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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · leaves · bark · last · press · perch · mug · field

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. press — to push
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mug — a cup
  10. field — for sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — to shout
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mug — to rob

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