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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. press — a publisher
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. march — the month
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. march — music
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stand — to bear
  18. present — there
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — a gift
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — to come down

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