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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: press · mine · stem · perch · rush · suit · season · drill

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. season — in sport
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — to push
  12. rush — hurry
  13. drill — a practice
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. perch — the fish
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. press — newspapers
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. press — a publisher
  23. drill — the tool
  24. season — of the year

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