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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 · rush · perch · trunk · fine · tube · spell · content

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. rush — hurry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. press — a publisher
  10. perch — the fish
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. content — the amount
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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