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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.

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: saw · nail · squash · rash · perch · press · wind · net

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wind — moving air
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — a series
  17. net — in sport
  18. press — to push
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wind — moving air
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — for catching
  24. wind — to turn a key

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