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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rule — government
  5. roll — a cake
  6. press — a publisher
  7. key — in music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. key — the most important part
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rush — hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. roll — a list
  24. rush — to hurry

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