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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. land — ground
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. press — newspapers
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. land — a country
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. roll — a list
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. roll — a cake
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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