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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: press · sharp · perch · squash · face · leaves · wave · bear

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. face — to confront
  3. squash — to crush
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the sport
  9. face — part of the head
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. press — a publisher
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wave — with your hand

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