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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 116 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: drill · stand · fan · press · bark · bay · perch · content

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. content — happy
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — army training
  24. bark — to shout

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