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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — to push
  6. fall — to drop
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — a publisher
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. land — a country
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. perch — the fish
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fall — the season
  19. sharp — clever
  20. press — newspapers
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. toast — bread
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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