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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. net — after costs
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — a company
  14. net — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mug — a cup
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a face
  24. firm — decided

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