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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 116 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: mate · perch · mine · press · wave · hand · key · clip

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mine — for digging
  7. key — the most important part
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hand — help
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. press — a publisher
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — the fish
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mate — a friend
  24. press — to push

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