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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: snap · bear · perch · drill · press · bulb · lie · arm

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. press — a publisher
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. drill — army training
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. press — to push
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. arm — part of the body

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