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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — army training
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — a practice
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. perch — for a bird

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