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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mate — to breed
  4. press — to push
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. press — newspapers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mate — a partner
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — a thrill

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