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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.

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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: dip · press · bark · rest · scale · wound · rock · rush

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. press — newspapers
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — a stone
  21. press — a publisher
  22. rock — music
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — for weighing

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