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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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — to handle
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rule — a law
  13. club — a group
  14. present — there
  15. snap — to click
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. press — a publisher
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. press — newspapers
  23. present — the time now
  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