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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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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: board · kick · present · hide · press · perch · snap · racket

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. present — a gift
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. press — to push
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. press — a publisher
  8. board — a committee
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. kick — in football
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — the fish
  16. present — there
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. present — the time now
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. perch — for a bird

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