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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — to push
  8. branch — a division
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. cue — for pool
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — letters
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bear — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. object — a thing
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. press — newspapers
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

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