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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. press — to push
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — a box
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fall — the season
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chest — of your body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — a company
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rule — government
  18. firm — steady
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rule — a law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — to rule out

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