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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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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mug — a face
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — to sink
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — in a road
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mug — to rob
  20. press — newspapers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mug — a cup

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