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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.

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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: perch · press · bark · leaves · ball · wave · row · can

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. perch — the fish
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. row — a line
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. can — a tin
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a dance
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. perch — for a bird

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