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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.

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: game · perch · press · bowl · clip · cabinet · pass · last

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — newspapers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. press — to push
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. clip — to cut
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — the fish
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. last — final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. last — to go on
  22. clip — a video
  23. press — a publisher
  24. game — a match

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