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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · cue · hide · perch · degree · sharp · press · spell

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cap — of ice
  4. press — newspapers
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — letters
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — the fish
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. sharp — clever
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cue — a signal
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cue — a hint

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