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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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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 · leaves · track · toast · chair · straw · lash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. press — to push
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — to keep track
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — a path
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. toast — bread
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — to sit on

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