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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — to push
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — newspapers
  15. fine — high quality
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fine — all right

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