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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: perch · spring · clip · fork · rest · press · saw · root

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — the season
  6. root — of a word
  7. clip — for paper
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rest — what's left
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — of water
  17. root — the cause
  18. clip — a video
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — a break
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — to push

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