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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: wake · kick · straw · hand · perch · spring · suit · press

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wake — a trail
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — the fish
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — a coil
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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