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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · perch · coach · stem · content · lie · press · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — to push
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. press — newspapers
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — happy
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rest — a break

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