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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rash — a series
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. press — newspapers
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rash — hasty
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. press — to push

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