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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.

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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — letters
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stock — shares
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — magic
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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