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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cold — an illness
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. charge — a price
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — in control
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. charge — electricity
  17. game — a match
  18. press — a publisher
  19. game — wild animals
  20. press — to push
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wound — an injury

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