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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. press — newspapers
  5. clip — a video
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. press — a publisher
  8. toast — bread
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — child
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — to tease

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