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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. row — a line
  3. squash — to crush
  4. firm — steady
  5. bear — the animal
  6. press — to push
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — newspapers
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. firm — a company
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. row — to paddle
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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