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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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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: present · press · snap · current · row · foot · perch · rule

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rule — a law
  3. snap — to click
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — government
  7. current — electric
  8. present — there
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — a publisher
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. row — a line
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — of water
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. foot — a measure
  23. press — to push
  24. perch — the fish

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