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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — to rob
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a cup
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — the fish
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. press — to push
  15. mug — a face
  16. press — newspapers
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. lie — to recline
  24. saw — the tool

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