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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. press — to push
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — a match
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — army training
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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