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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — the time now
  10. press — to push
  11. shower — to wash
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cell — a phone
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rock — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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