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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 · arm · current · saw · chest · perch · drill · firm

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — to push
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — a company
  7. drill — army training
  8. firm — steady
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. current — of water
  17. firm — decided
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — electric
  20. press — newspapers
  21. chest — a box
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. press — a publisher
  24. arm — a part of something

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