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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. present — the time now
  3. perch — the fish
  4. press — newspapers
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — to push
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — there
  11. present — a gift
  12. lean — thin
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spell — letters
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to bend

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