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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. press — to push
  5. press — newspapers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. press — a publisher
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hand — help
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rash — hasty
  18. content — the amount
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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