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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rock — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — a law
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. press — a publisher
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — to push
  11. hand — in cards
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rule — government
  17. hand — help
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. rule — to rule out

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