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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rest — a break
  6. press — newspapers
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bear — the animal
  9. degree — an amount
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. degree — temperature
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to bend
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. perch — the fish
  20. degree — from a university
  21. rest — what's left
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. press — to push
  24. cabinet — ministers

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