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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
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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: clip · bay · wake · pitcher · perch · plane · toast · press

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. clip — for paper
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. press — a publisher
  10. clip — a video
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. plane — a tool
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. toast — bread
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. press — newspapers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. clip — to cut
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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