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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. court — for sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chest — a box

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