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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 116 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — a container
  6. file — a tool
  7. press — to push
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. file — a line of people
  14. mug — a cup
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — the fish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a document
  24. press — newspapers

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