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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. can — a tin
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. can — a tin
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bark — to shout
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. perch — the fish

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