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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: land · tube · season · perch · bore · press · snap · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bore — to drill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — the underground
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — a short time
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. perch — the fish
  20. press — a publisher
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — a country
  24. snap — to click

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