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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: press · rest · mark · bark · scale · date · rash · fan

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rash — hasty
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — a publisher
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. press — to push
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — in music
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — a series
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — to pay attention

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