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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bulb — for light
  7. suit — clothes
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — newspapers
  12. suit — to fit
  13. drill — a practice
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — soda
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. chair — to sit on

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