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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — a short time
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — newspapers
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spell — letters
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — to push
  24. spell — magic

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