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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: dip · perch · saw · face · last · press · row · wind

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. row — a line
  7. wind — moving air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. row — to paddle
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. last — finally
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. press — to push
  20. saw — the tool
  21. face — part of the head
  22. last — final
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — to point toward

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