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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.

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: present · bulb · capital · lie · hand · press · perch · craft

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — money
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bulb — for light
  6. present — the time now
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — to push
  9. capital — a city
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. press — newspapers
  18. present — a gift
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. hand — in cards
  22. present — there
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hand — part of the body

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