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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mug — a face
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mate — to breed
  5. track — a path
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — of water
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mate — a friend
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — to rob
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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