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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.

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: land · wake · perch · bore · press · stick · rock · game

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. land — to come down
  3. wake — a trail
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. press — newspapers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rock — music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. land — a country
  11. game — wild animals
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. land — ground
  15. bore — to drill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a match
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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