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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — a series
  18. press — to push
  19. mug — to rob
  20. degree — temperature
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to confront

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