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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cue — a signal
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — to push
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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