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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. land — ground
  4. land — a country
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — finally
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for dancing
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to sink
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for golf
  22. last — final
  23. press — a publisher
  24. dip — a sauce

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