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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bear — the animal
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. press — to push
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — the tool

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