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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. press — a publisher
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — a committee
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. shower — to wash
  12. press — newspapers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — rain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — to get on

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