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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. present — there
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. perch — the fish
  6. band — a music group
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. press — to push
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. present — a gift
  12. press — a publisher
  13. current — electric
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. press — newspapers
  21. current — of water
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — the time now
  24. rest — a break

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