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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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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: bay · pop · clip · perch · press · fan · fork · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pop — to visit
  6. clip — for paper
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. clip — a video
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. fall — the season
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pop — soda
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. perch — the fish

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