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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. season — of the year
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. press — a publisher
  8. season — in sport
  9. press — to push
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — child
  12. hand — in cards
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — clothes
  16. press — newspapers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lean — thin

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