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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: press · pound · march · mug · safe · arm · rash · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mug — a face
  12. press — to push
  13. march — music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bark — to shout
  16. march — the month
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pound — a weight

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