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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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Word bank
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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. dip — to sink
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. drill — the tool
  13. press — a publisher
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. press — newspapers
  22. capital — a city
  23. land — to come down
  24. drill — a practice

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