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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — a company
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — a country
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — steady
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cap — a hat
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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