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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — a publisher
  5. drill — army training
  6. press — to push
  7. drill — a practice
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — a song
  10. row — a line
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — to paddle
  17. can — a tin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a path
  24. track — to keep track

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