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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.

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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: firm · mug · wake · perch · ground · press · foot · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — a phone
  7. firm — steady
  8. perch — the fish
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ground — crushed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. press — to push
  17. firm — decided
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — a publisher
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. firm — a company

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