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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · mine · prune · net · leaves · press · spring · bay

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. net — for catching
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — a coil
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — in sport
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — the season
  24. mine — for digging

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