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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 124 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. press — to push
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — a publisher
  8. branch — a division
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. roll — a list
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lie — to recline
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mine — for digging
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. press — newspapers
  22. swing — music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — of a tree

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