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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — a city
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — to push
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bank — of a river
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bay — a horse colour

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