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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.

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 · temple · press · bear · staff · march · mate · object

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — to protest
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mate — a partner
  8. staff — employees
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — an aim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. press — to push
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mate — a friend
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. press — a publisher
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. press — newspapers
  23. temple — side of the head
  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