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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: mate · spring · spell · toast · straw · press · perch · cue

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spell — a short time
  3. press — newspapers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mate — a friend
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spring — a coil
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — letters
  12. press — to push
  13. toast — bread
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — a signal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cue — a hint
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — of water
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  24. toast — the most admired

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