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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: mate · tear · press · perch · band · foot · leaves · cabinet

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a ring
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — the fish
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — a publisher
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — a friend
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. leaves — to go away

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