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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.

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: rush · mark · press · craft · perch · swing · bark · stem

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. rush — hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. press — to push
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — a publisher
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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