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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — a publisher
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — a short time
  7. firm — steady
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — a company
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. press — newspapers
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — decided
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — to push
  22. spell — letters
  23. rash — a series
  24. perch — the fish

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