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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · perch · cabinet · press · fork · straw

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. perch — the fish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. press — to push
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — in a road

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