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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fall — the season
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pit — a hole
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — to push
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. press — a publisher
  20. scale — in music
  21. perch — the fish
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — of a plant

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