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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — a friend
  5. present — there
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. mate — a partner
  9. lean — to bend
  10. dip — to sink
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — to push
  19. kid — to tease
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — to breed
  22. press — newspapers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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