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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — boats
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mate — to breed
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mate — a partner
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — to push
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. tube — in a tire

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