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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bear — the animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. spell — magic
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — the arms race
  9. roll — a list
  10. race — humankind
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — a leader
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spell — letters
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. spell — a short time
  24. press — to push

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