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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — a law
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — to push
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rule — government
  20. present — there
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. perch — the fish
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pass — a permit

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