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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 120 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: hide · foot · bark · press · lash · deal · land · saw

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. press — to push
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. land — a country
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. land — ground
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. saw — the tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. press — a publisher
  21. saw — the tool
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. land — to come down
  24. lash — an eyelash

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