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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.

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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: suit · perch · content · wake · lie · press · fine · hand

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — the amount
  8. press — a publisher
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. press — to push
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wake — a trail
  16. suit — to fit
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. perch — for a bird

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