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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mug — a face
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. object — a thing
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spell — letters
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. object — to protest
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — to push
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — magic
  24. mug — to rob

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