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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. can — to be able to
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. perch — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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