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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — a container
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. press — a publisher
  7. row — to paddle
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — all right
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fine — high quality
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. tube — the underground
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. perch — the fish
  24. straw — dry grass

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