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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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Word bank
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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — a thing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — an aim
  11. ball — a dance
  12. press — newspapers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — a publisher
  16. band — a ring
  17. object — to protest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. land — a country
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. band — a music group
  23. land — ground
  24. scale — in music

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