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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — to go on
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — to fit
  18. last — finally
  19. suit — clothes
  20. fine — all right
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. last — final

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