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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 · craft · plane · straw · roll · degree · sharp · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. press — newspapers
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. roll — a list
  7. degree — from a university
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — a tool
  11. perch — the fish
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. degree — temperature
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — clever
  20. degree — an amount
  21. roll — a cake
  22. press — a publisher
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. craft — a skill

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