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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — in sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. suit — to fit
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — the season
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. press — a publisher
  19. ball — a dance
  20. press — to push
  21. race — the arms race
  22. race — a contest
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mine — for digging

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