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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — a publisher
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. firm — steady
  11. tube — a container
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mine — for digging
  14. firm — decided
  15. press — newspapers
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — a company
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. press — to push
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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