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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. drill — army training
  8. press — a publisher
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — to come from
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — the underground
  14. drill — the tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. press — newspapers
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. chair — a leader

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