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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — a committee
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — a series
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. press — a publisher
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — to recline
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. drill — army training
  24. perch — the fish

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