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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: press · temple · wake · plane · perch · can · scale · ball

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ball — a dance
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ball — a great time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. scale — size or range
  16. plane — a tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. scale — in music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. perch — the fish
  24. can — a tin

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