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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — a trace
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hide — animal skin

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