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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 116 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
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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: ground · press · spring · perch · mark · race · leaves · firm

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ground — crushed
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — steady
  9. press — newspapers
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — the season
  12. ground — a position
  13. press — to push
  14. firm — decided
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mark — a grade
  18. firm — a company
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. press — a publisher
  21. spring — a coil
  22. race — a contest
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — of water

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