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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. press — a publisher
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — to push
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — to play on
  12. craft — boats
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. press — newspapers
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bass — low music
  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