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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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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — a publisher
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — farmland
  20. rock — music
  21. field — for sport
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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