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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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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — to bear
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. face — to point toward
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — to confront
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. perch — the fish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fork — in a road

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