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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. press — to push
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. suit — to fit
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — clothes
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. perch — the fish
  15. file — a line of people
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to point toward
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — a publisher
  24. face — to confront

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