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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 ________________ the button?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. present — there
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. present — a gift
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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