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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 120 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — to push
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — to rob
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — from a university
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mug — a face

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