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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 116 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: perch · spell · lie · mate · rash · swing · press · ruler

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mate — a partner
  11. swing — in golf
  12. perch — the fish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rash — a series
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a friend
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — magic
  20. rash — hasty
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ruler — a monarch

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