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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spring — the season
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spring — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — a publisher
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. perch — the fish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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