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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: net · straw · mouse · press · perch · lie · row · nail

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — for catching
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — a publisher
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — after costs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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