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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 · press · roll · march · firm · mug · perch · chest

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a face
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. press — to push
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. press — a publisher
  11. march — the month
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. chest — a box
  18. march — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — steady
  22. wake — a trail
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — before a funeral

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