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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: bark · ball · plane · object · press · bay · mouse · bat

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. press — a publisher
  5. ball — a dance
  6. object — an aim
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. object — to protest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. plane — a tool
  18. press — to push
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — a thing

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