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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — hasty
  18. press — to push
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bass — low music

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