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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the sport
  4. drill — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. press — newspapers
  8. sharp — clever
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. press — a publisher
  15. drill — army training
  16. season — in sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. press — to push
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — a trail
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — a practice
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. squash — the vegetable

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