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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — a publisher
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — the fish

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