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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.

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: bark · fan · suit · mine · press · content · fine · wound

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. press — newspapers
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — to push
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — a publisher
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mine — for digging
  21. wound — an injury
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bark — of a tree

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