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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. file — a tool
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — magic
  8. land — ground
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. charge — in control
  11. mark — a grade
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — the fish
  17. charge — electricity
  18. file — a document
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. mark — a trace
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. file — a line of people
  23. land — a country
  24. sharp — clever

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